ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Red tide is killing thousands of fish along Florida's southwest coast.
Many people are now wondering if the fish that are left are safe to eat.
Marine scientist Dr. Leesa Souto said fish are fine, but shellfish should be avoided.
"There are certain shellfish like scallops where you don't usually eat the gut part of the scallop, you're just eating the muscle," she said. "Those are probably OK. Fish are OK. As long as you know typically with a fish we eat the filets so, again, avoiding the gut content of anything because that's where the toxin is going to be."
Typically found in the Gulf Coast, red tide doesn't normally occur on the eastern side of the sunshine state, but fish and shellfish often come to the east coast from the gulf.
That's why Wine 4 Oysters, located in east Orange County, had their vendor switch the sourcing of their shellfish.
They use to get oysters from the Panhandle of the state, now it comes from Louisiana.
Still located in the Gulf, but nowhere near the red tide bloom.
"If you enjoy seafood and you eat seafood a lot you want the freshest possible and the safest possible if you're going to consume it raw," said Anthony Braithwaite, general manager of Wine 4 Oysters.
Marine doctors said the toxins found in the shellfish located in red tide can poison humans, causing anything from stomach issues to neurological disorders.
Cooking or freezing the food does not help to get rid of the toxin, either.
Officials say the toxin is tasteless and impossible to detect.